You might think you want to be a member—but trust me this is one club you don’t want to join. It’s not a place where people go to live out their deepest, darkest sexual desires—there are no handcuffs or blindfolds.

The 27 Club only admits those who die young and tragically. My brother was recently bestowed membership and joined many of our ancestors before him. I know I’m next. This is my destiny, and I was ready to yield.

But then I met Nate. He awakened a sensuality in me that had never been explored, never satisfied. I knew then I could no longer accept my destiny. Nate’s presence controls me. I’m overwhelmed by his touch, his words; my every thought is consumed by desire. I believe he was brought into my life for a reason.

Harnessing all of my willpower, I fight the sudden inclination I have to leap around the table and jump onto his lap. I always tell people I prefer dessert before a meal, but never has anyone taken me seriously.

Never.

Tension coils deep in my belly. Lust flows through my veins running faster and faster with each passing second. I look over at him and as soon as I see his face, I can feel myself coming unhinged. Urges I can’t deny surface. The need to know the taste of his lips, to feel his hard body,

to be able to lick the chocolate he just ordered off his chest, and to slide my tongue down his stomach so I can taste him.

Looking thoughtful, his return gaze slowly changes to one of concern. “Have you stopped planning for your future because you don’t think you have one?” he asks softly.

Remnants of our conversation must have been lingering in his mind. Slamming my eyes shut, all of the erotic images I had conjured up immediately disappear as I fight to breathe.

Suddenly the air becomes thick in my lungs and I can’t get it out. I take deep calming breaths. As the haze around me dissipates and I fight off the panic attack, I hear a fumbling in front of me. I force myself to lift my lids. Nate is attempting to open my clutch. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get you your inhaler.” Panic seems to drown out the deep green of his eyes.

I push to my feet and give him a disbelieving look. “I’m not having an asthma attack.”

“You’re not?” He sounds uncertain.

Shaking my head, I set my napkin on the table. “Excuse me, I have to use the ladies room.” I walk inside the restaurant, realizing I have no idea where I’m going. Looking around, I find the bathrooms immediately.

Just as I pull the door open, a hand covers mine. “You’re upset.”

I drop my head. “No, I’m fine.”

Fierceness grips his voice. “You’re lying.”

Summoning all of my willpower, I raise my eyes.

Nate lifts my chin. “You didn’t let me finish. I’m trying to understand you. I want to know why, if you believe in destiny, you’d change your path. Why wouldn’t you do what you had always planned on doing? Why change your course? Personally, I think destiny is bullshit. I also think not pursuing your dream is bullshit too.”

Caged by his body, his scent, his presence, I look up into his burning eyes and I can see compassion there. I believe he wants what’s best for me. If I think I know him through my brother, he thinks he knows me through my brother as well. And Zach wanted me to continue my education. His dream was that someday I’d be Dr. Zoey Flowers. Nate knows this.

“Nate”—I press my finger to his lips—“I think I need to tell you something about myself.”

“What?” he asks.

In all our e-mails after my brother’s death, I never mentioned the real reason for my delay in coming to Miami. I keep my eyes open even though I want to close them. “I had a breakdown shortly after Zach died. I took a leave from my job. I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t plan one day, let alone the next. And somewhere during that time, I let any plans I had for the future fall to the wayside. I don’t know what I want anymore.”

Shock appears on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me in any of our e-mails?”

The truth is hard to admit. “I actually looked forward to your weekly e-mails. But I did lie to you. It wasn’t work that kept me from coming to get my brother’s things. It was me and my inability to cope.”

His gaze continues to pin me in a way that makes me think he understands me.

It holds me in place. Keeps me calm.

“Zoey, God, I don’t think that at all,” he breathes. “I can understand how that would happen.

With everything coming at you at once, and the shock of Z’s death, coupled with the revelations about your family, it was just too much. I get it.”

I just stare at his lips, longing to kiss him. My body is filled with so many wants and needs, and all these new urges I’ve never felt before.

And all I want is just for him to set me free.

Additional Teaser

About the Author:

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

✦✦Synopsis✦✦

Joe Murphy is a boxer. He’s twenty-eight years old and what most women would call hot. He’s a player, and his lifestyle is ruining his career.
Joe always hooks up with the wrong women, head jobs and debutantes looking to further their own careers. Joe’s had it, he’s crashing and he’s doing nothing to stop his decent into his own personal hell.
Darlene Russo is a single mom and a huge boxing fan. Except she can’t afford to attend any of the bouts, she watches from afar, she’s a cleaning lady for the biggest sports arena in Brooklyn, New York.
Darlene finds the drunken boxer, and helps him get home. The next morning she wakes up in his bed, scared and confused. Their night together comes in on her, the lovemaking and their use of no protection. Her worries were just beginning and Joe Murphy would face the test of his life.

✦Excerpt✦

"Look at me," Joe said as his fingers went under Darlene's chin. "You're very attractive." Darlene trembled his touch was warm, gentle and his voice soothing so confident. He ran a finger over her bottom lip.
"You're trembling, I like that. Tells me a woman's body is reacting and I love a wet soft pussy." Her heart leapt in her chest and her nipples hardened. She'd never had a man talk to her like that. There mere mention of her pussy made her body ache.
"I bet right about now, if I slipped a finger into you, you'd be sopping wet. Should I try and see?" Darlene swallowed, she couldn't move because he was right, he was so right.

✦✦Ethan Radcliff✦✦

I've been writing since I was a kid. I love creating and tried my hand at art, not bad but not good enough. A guy's gotta eat. Through high school I wrote erotic stories, kept them in a notebook, let a few of my girlfriends read them. Yeah, played football, baseball, but my brain never stopped thinking of sex. I guess we think about it all the time. Been on face book for a while never did anything interesting when I was on until I started to see all the writers and then some poets posting their erotic prose. Men who were writing erotic romance and stories, I knew it was my time to get out the old note book and throw on some poems. Some are old and some are new, the ones about BDSM are newer. In high school or college I wasn't on that train of thought. I see a picture it sets me off. A see an attractive women it sets me off. The jiggle of a full ass or heavy breasts, gets me going. Yeah, my mind always is on a beautiful face or body.

I knew the exact moment I’d become a ‘yes’ girl. December 16th, a cold winter’s night, four years ago. The night my innocence was stolen, the night I made the mistake of saying no—a mistake I’d never make again. The dream of a ‘happily ever after' was now a locked away myth. I promised myself that I’d never return to the place of my worst nightmare, that I’d never let anyone get close, but then again, I never thought I’d meet someone like him. The intense, confident and beautiful Ky Crawford.

I had no plans to become someone’s Prince Charming. I couldn’t be. I refused to be. My plan was simple—do whatever it takes to correct my biggest mistake, my one regret that now controlled my life. I was on track. I had plans, but then everything changed when I saw her—the girl in the red jacket, the girl who I was told couldn’t say no. The reserved yet stunning Eden Rivers. A girl who can’t say no. A guy who craves redemption. A chance encounter? It all comes down to this. One question. One month. Be My December?

Rachel Brookes is from a coastal town on the east coast of Australia where beaches, kangaroos and surfers roam free. She writes angsty love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance and a spoonful of sexiness… oh and the main ingredient hot guys. Rachel sometimes forgets to eat, sometimes forgets to sleep and sometimes can’t remember the last time she cleaned her apartment but that’s because she is in a long term relationship with her laptop and is constantly writing. When she does step away from her laptop she can be found taking too many photos, making scrumptious cocktails, laughing at Adam Sandler movies and spending her time with her amazing family and friends. Books currently available include The Breathe Series - Just Breathe, Breathless and Breathe Again. Be My December will be available August 2014.

Cleo’s a Pararescueman for the U.S. Air Force. When a PJ is called, it’s because everyone else has said no. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the entire military, but also one of the most rewarding. It’s the reason he doesn’t form relationships. He’s seen his teammates divorce one by one, and he doesn't want to do that to a woman. Especially one that he’s supposed to love. However, nowhere in his grand scheme did he plan for the force that was Rue.

To My

Rue’s life has been rough. What she needs is a break. One that’ll distract her from the fact that she’s drowning in responsibility. It comes in the form of a dark and dangerous biker who has a habit of putting his life on the line. He gives her the world, and she holds on with both hands, knowing that he only wants to be friends. Or does he?

Flight

Thinking she knows what’s best, she pushes him too far, causing his control to take flight, and Cleo to disappear before the dust settles. One night of passion turns into a year of heartbreak as Rue tries to find the ability to move on from Cleo. He was pretty clear with his wishes, and they didn’t include her.

Cleo’s not through with Rue, though. Not even a little bit. She’ll be his. All it’ll take is a little bit of…persuasion.

I’m
a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that
they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and
we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest
state in the world, Texas.

From the outside looking in Garrison Davis seems like every other senior in high school. On the inside though, he’s an emotional wreck promising to not love anyone. He chooses to protect himself by vowing solitude. His dad is in prison for dealing drugs; his mother is a recovering addict and an emotional mess. The only thing that brings him joy is playing the drums and that feeling of being needed by his band. It is his escape, his passion. No one gets hurt or disappointed. That is until he lays his eyes on Reese at school. She is the exact example of what he cannot let himself get involved in. He would do nothing but drag her down with him.

“I want to tell her and show her how much I love her. I had loved her from the first time I saw her smile but I can’t, I won’t. She deserves so much more than I can offer. I’m the spawn of a drug dealer and an addict. I have never let myself love another person and now… I love her so much it hurts.”

Reese Owens is the exact opposite of Garrison. Inside she’s beaming; growing up in a happy home and on the outside she was a duck out of water. Her parents are the over protective set but are finally loosening the jail bars. Sophomore year in high school, she has never dated a boy and is envious of the social life her best friend Autumn Welch has. She meets Garrison and is instantly attracted to him. He pulls away when she pushes in. A whole new world opens up to Reese and she finds herself falling into situations she can’t get herself out of. Making bad decision after bad decision, she finds out the hard way on how life is full of choices. The one thing she wants more than anything is Garrison’s attention which she doesn’t get in return.

“How is it possible to love someone and keep it quiet? Never to utter those very words knowing he doesn’t feel the same way. I finally fall in love and he only wants to be friends. He is everything I have always wanted and he keeps me at a distance making sure we don’t get too close. How can I ignore my feelings and act like I don’t have them when we are around each other? How do I resist the urge to move my lips towards his when he is talking to me?”

Garrison realizes he has to be honest with Reese and tell her how he really feels before he loses her for good. Just maybe, he will get love in return for the first time in his life. When he finally convinces himself to come forth, a life changing event occurs that could take away the only person in his life that truly loves him.

Is it too late? Does he get the chance to tell her? And when he confesses does it matter?

Author's Bio

I am a Texas girl, mother of 2 amazing kiddos and married to my gorgeous soulmate for almost 20 years. I have a full time job in the medical field. I love to spend my free time reading, being outside and playing with my family and 4 fur babies. I started to write at the instinct of ""hey maybe I can do that!"" I have enjoyed every step of the journey. I am blessed to have very supportive friends and family that make my like worth living!

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.
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The name AJ Colthurst may not have any meaning to the public eye, but it
should, as I’m the daughter of two famous celebrities. Like any superstar, they
crave privacy; so much of it, they built a house in the middle of nowhere for
us children. As we grew older, we discovered the lies they built as a fort to
protect us from the media, ended up causing emotional damage along the way.
I carry a portion of the guilt on my shoulders; the other part I discovered is
the separation of my parents. Their unorthodox ways may have driven me bonkers,
but knowing they are no longer together is unacceptable.
That’s why I decided to rattle their cage by reminding at least one of my
parents of the past and the reason they belong together. They need to remember
why their love is so perfect and why they have to fight to keep it alive. Even
if it means I have to dredge up some of my own painful memories along the way.

Gabe

Back in the early eighties, I set myself to succeed in the financial world. The
first step had been moving to New York City to become a stockbroker, but things
didn’t work out the way I had hoped. Instead, I ended up making movies and by
the end of the decade, Gabe Colt had become a famous name. The downside to my
career of choice: the paparazzi. In order to protect my family and our privacy,
I maintained my family away from the circus. It had been for their own good; a
decision we had made before we started our family.
However, those past decisions ended up chasing my entire family away and now
I’m trying to put the pieces back together along with my little girl.

That was one of the pivotal moments of my career and my personal life. I met my best friend, the love of my life, and learned to love acting.

“I can’t be sharing rooms with her,” a soft female voice spoke after Tara handed out the room keys.

Instead of checking who I’d be rooming with, I leaned forward and spotted a petite blonde pointing toward a tall brunette whose hair was bigger than the flower pot behind her.

“Abigail,” Tara addressed her. “We have a contract. You and Lara will share, and if you break the contract, you’ll have to pay for any production delays.”

Abigail Ritz and Lara Stevens had worked together in several teenage movies. Everyone who followed the basic news channels were aware of their feud. They fought for the same guy years ago, Lara’s fiancé at that moment. He had been Abigail’s boyfriend first. Some entrepreneur who liked to have beautiful celebrities on his arm.

Abigail Ritz was more famous in the early eighties, but just as the women fought for the same guy, they also fought for roles. If they worked in the same movie, the fights became public domain. Lara was tall with dark, long hair and deep, blue eyes while Abigail was petite and curvy with green eyes and blonde hair.

After Tara had wrapped up the meeting, I went to speak with Abigail. “Everything okay?” I extended my hand. “Gabe Colt.”

“Yes, of course.” She smoothed her hair before extending her hand. “Nice to meet you, Gabe.”

For artistic purposes, I had shortened my name from Gabriel James Colthurst to just Gabe Colt. A name I wanted to change legally but haven’t had the time.

From the corner of my eye I spotted someone approaching us, then I heard his voice.

“Colt,” he called out. I turned around and found a man about an inch shorter than me, long, brown hair that matched Lara’s length and volume, and a bandana tied around his forehead. He wore leather pants, leather jacket, and a pair of industrial boots with chains around them—weird. “Christian Ainsley Decker, your new roommate.”

Tara had to be kidding me, the Rock God was Christian Decker and I was rooming with him. The idea of suggesting to switch became appealing. I could get to know little Abby while he could exchange hair product secrets with Lara.

“It’s my lucky day,” Decker muttered. “I’m rooming with Mr. Hot Shot, would you mind switching rooms, darling?” He wiggled his eyebrows at Abby. “You and I can get to know one another as I make you reach places no other man has taken you before.”

Abby giggled and tried to compose her posture.

“I’ll see the two of you around.” Abigail scurried away.

In the end, it didn’t matter who I roomed with; I had a schedule to meet and my daily routine to follow. The most damage he could do was play his music too loud. My college roommate had cranked his heavy metal all the way up when he wanted to study. The only difference between back then and now would be that I could complain to the creator instead of the fan.

Decker’s band, Dreadful Souls, emulated the genre of heavy metal of which I wasn’t a fan. His band played that shit as he screamed nonsense lyrics. Or they played cheesy ballads that had women dropping their panties and throwing them at him during their concerts. My roommate made me go with him to one of their concerts since I owed him one.

We headed to the elevator rolling our luggage behind us when he spoke.

“I think it’s fifty-fifty.”

His intent to answer something I hadn’t asked didn’t make sense and I chose to ignore him because the less we talked, the less I had to deal with his personality. Not that I knew anything about this long haired freak.

About AuthorBorn on the mystical day of October 30th in the
not so mystical lands of Mexico City, Claudia grew up with a childhood that
resembled a caffeine-injected soap opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to
the lands of her techie husband—a.k.a. the U.S.—with their offspring to start a
new adventure.

She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a
small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said
nerd husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the
boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the
voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of
chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

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I received an arc in exchange for an honest review
Just a warning to people that if you don't like dark reads then this isn't the book for you, as there are scenes of violence and taboo subjects.
This book is not your typical Romeo and...

It was nice to have Bash's story in print.
I finally got to understand why he did what he did. The pressures that he was under and that he felt that he had only one way out of it.
It's nice to see a book that deals with real life issue...

This deserves 4.5 stars
This was a dark dark read, only read this if you like dark reads.
Pepper doesn't disappoint with this book, OMG Pepper but where do you get you ideas from this was fantastic.
This is a slightly different plot b...

**** I received this arc in exchange for an honest review***
This book is about two desperately messed up people who come together.
Grayson has just escaped an abusive relationship and moves home. She has a twin who is the complete opp...